The Spatial Planning Department is responsible for the management of land use in the municipality. The department engages with various stakeholders who are interested in housing development, commercial development and industrial development. It is the function of the department to identify suitable land for the various uses and to also ensure that integrated human settlements happens. The department is composed of the following sections:

Spatial Planning

Land Use Administration

Building Control

Objectives of the Section

To identify and stimulate development opportunities through the Spatial Development Framework Planning,

To monitor and initiate erf creation processes,

To monitor and regulate land uses through land use schemes,

To monitor and regulate building activities within the area of jurisdiction

To administer and stimulate economic development within the area of jurisdiction of the municipality,

To administer the alienation (temporary) and disposal (permanent) of municipal land

It is to be noted that the Department: Properties has been recently established, currently it is under Spatial Planning. It will become a fully-fledged department once the placement processes in terms of the new organogram have been concluded.

Human Settlements Department

The Human Settlements aims to provide sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household through accelerated delivery of housing and access to basic services – closer to employment opportunities. The municipality creates Integrated Human Settlements by providing low cost houses from fully subsidized to affordable middle and upper cost through the following programmes:

Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP)

Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP)

Community Residential Units (CRU)

In order to execute the above, the Human Settlements department undertakes the following functions:

Prevention and management of informal settlements and illegal invasions.

To strategically identify, budget and plan for human settlements needs in alignment with the Integrated Development Plan of the municipality.

Community Residential Units management.

Administration of old townships.

In Situ administration of beneficiaries.

Reporting to Council on all projects.

Transfer of properties owned by the Municipality through the Enhanced Extended benefit Scheme.

Facilitation of the formalisation and upgrading of informal settlements.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

The Economic Development Department is aimed at being the command centre for the economic growth of the municipality. This is achieved through engaging with all role-players to create an enabling environment for accelerated, shared and sustainable growth. It is responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of economic development in the municipality. The eMalahleni municipality has the following objectives and strategic goals.

To be the number one economic hub in Mpumalanga by 2016.

To grow the economy of eMalahleni by 4% per annum.

To create employment opportunities in line with New Growth Path targets and halve poverty in line with Millennium Development Goals

To address all economic and Technical service delivery backlogs, including the new requirements within five years for a quality living standard for all.

To ensure meaningful economic participation of all the citizens through capacity building and preferential procurement opportunities.

To develop institutional capacity and arrangement that will drive the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of LED programs and projects within the envisaged five-year period.

In order to realise the above objectives, the department is therefore responsible for the following functions:-

To facilitate the establishment of LED partnerships that will ensure the materialization of the developmental objectives contained in the IDP;

To facilitate the implementation of SMME’s and Cooperatives through tourism support programmes that ensure the achievement of LED objectives.

Liaising and, where relevant, championing active co-operation with national, provincial and other regional development bodies.

Liaising and strengthening networks with all relevant LED role players (Provincial departments, District departments and other Local Municipalities, i.e SALGA, SA Cities Network.

Performing relevant administrative tasks of Economic Development and dealing with daily correspondence; preparing and submitting items to Council

Consulting with all relevant role players to achieve co-ownership of Local Economic Development partnerships

Identifying business opportunities from the agricultural, mining, freight and logistics, metal-based industry, power generation, retail business, tourism and other sectors by soliciting expert advice;

Supporting new and existing businesses to grow by facilitating access to financial training, information and other assistance that may be available.

Develop and maintain LED Stakeholders database for SMME’s, Cooperatives and big businesses.Ensure that Municipal LED plans and strategies are aligned to National and Provincial policies i.e. (NSDP, National LED framework, PGDS, The New Growth Path) as well as Municipal policies (e.g. IDP, SDF )

EMAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.